A 30-year-old man allegedly blew stop signs and nearly ran over children and then struck two police squads, leading to a police pursuit that ended in a crash in Park City, authorities said.
Francisco R. Martinez-Perales, 30, of Park City, was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated fleeing to elude, aggravated driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license.
The Park City Police Department responded around 7:15 p.m. on April 24, 2025, to a call for a reckless driver that ran stop signs and almost ran over children playing on the sidewalk.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd said an officer located the vehicle matching the 911 caller’s description.
The vehicle was a 2012 Jeep Patriot and the officer initiated a traffic stop but the vehicle failed to stop and fled at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle began traveling southbound on Teske Boulevard, Shepherd said. The officer placed his squad across Teske Boulevard in an attempt to stop the Jeep.
The Jeep stopped long enough for the officer to see that the driver was a Hispanic male.
The driver, who was later identified as Martinez-Perales, put the Jeep into reverse and backed into a Park City police squad car, which had its emergency lights activated and an officer inside.
Martinez-Perales went around another officer’s squad car and continued southbound on Teske Boulevard, Shepherd said.
Martinez-Perales began weaving from the southbound lanes to the northbound lanes and back, striking a squad car every time he did so.
Officers were able to stop the Jeep at Teske Boulevard and Old Plank Road where a crash occurred.
Shepherd said Martinez-Perales was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment of injuries.
An officer was also transported to the hospital and was later released the same day.
A police detective responded to the hospital and made contact with Martinez-Perales.
The detective observed Martinez-Perales to have a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person and he had bloodshot, watery eyes, Shepherd said.
The detectives asked Martinez-Perales to submit to a DUI kit but he refused. The detective believed Martinez-Perales to be under the influence of alcohol.
Martinez-Perales’ driver’s license was suspended at the time of the offense, Shepherd said. He also had two previous convictions for driving on a suspended license.
An arrest warrant was issued for Martinez-Perales in October 2025 and he was taken into custody last month.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the request during a detention hearing.
“The defendant drove a motor vehicle and used it to continuously and intentionally strike Officer Meehan’s squad car. Further, the conditions of Electronic Home Monitoring would not be effective as there is no technology that could confine the defendant to their home for 24 hours,” Shepherd said.
“Further, there is no technology that could monitor the defendant on a 24-hour basis, nor keep the defendant from consuming alcohol. Therefore, we ask that the petition to detain be granted,” the prosecutor argued.
The judge noted that Martinez-Perales ran stop signs, nearly ran over children, a crash occurred and his actions sent an officer to the hospital.
Martinez-Perales remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 8 for a case management conference.